Artist Database

ESHULUTAK, Eleesapee

Born

Baffin Island, Nunavut, 1925

Biography synopsis

Inuit artist Eleesapee Eshulutak (Eleeseepee/ Elisapee/ Eshulutaq/ Ishulutaq/ Ishulutak) was born at Kanirterjuak on Baffin Island. Eshulutak began to develop her artistic skills when she moved to the settlement of Pangnirtung at the age of 45. She was encouraged to draw and produce prints for the Pangnirtung Print Shop annual collections between 1975 and 1987. In 1973, Eshulutak received an award of merit from the California College of Arts and Crafts for a print. The artist's prints, many of which were transferred into beautifully woven tapestries, are inspired by stories she heard as a child. Many of the works depict human figures and animals engaged in traditional Inuit culture, such as hunting, games and the domestic environment. Eshulutak's use of intuitive perspective and colorful designs give her work a unique aesthetic sensibility. In 1989, the Eskimo Art Gallery in Montreal held a solo exhibition of Eshulutak's works. More recently, Eshulutak has begun to work in oil, painting large-scale colorful canvases that explore the culture and lifestyle of Pangnirtung. Since the introduction of the oil medium to Pangnirtung, Eshulutak has created monumental contemporary works, such as "Nunagah (My Home Place)", a 5 by 30 foot oil on paper drawing that reflects on memories of childhood. These latest works have been exhibited in "Drawn 2010", a Vancouver-based annual festival that explores drawing practices across Canada. Through the course of her lifetime, Eshulutak's oeuvre has been shown in museums and galleries across Canada, the United States, and in Rome, Italy. Eshulutak's prints, drawings and tapestries can be found in several Museum collections, including the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and the Art Gallery of Ontario. Her son, Jaco Eshulutak (1951-) is also an established artist in Pangnirtung.

Rothmans of Pall Mall Ltd.. Inuit Art: A Selection of Inuit Art from the Collection of the National Museum of Man, Ottawa and the Rothmans Permanent Collection of Inuit Sculpture, Canada. Rothmans of Pall Mall Ltd., 1981.

Sabbath, Lawrence. "Exhibition Season Busiest in City's History: Summer's Almost Over But There's Plenty of Action in the Months to Come." Gazette (21 Sept. 1985): D14.

Shulman, Neville. Some Like It Cold: Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions. Guilford, Connecticut: The Lyons Press, 2003.